Three Classic Tidhar Novellas Out Now in New eBook Editions!


New eBook editions of three of Lavie Tidhar‘s classic novellas are available again in the UK and North America! Each is published by JABberwocky, and the details are as follows…

MARTIAN SANDS

1941: an hour before the attack on Pearl Harbour, a man from the future materialises in President Roosevelt’s office. His offer of military aid may cut the War and its pending atrocities short, and alter the course of the future…The future: welcome to Mars, where the lives of three ordinary people become entwined in one dingy smokesbar the moment an assassin opens fire. The target: the mysterious Bill Glimmung. But is Glimmung even real? The truth might just be found in the remote FDR Mountains, an empty place, apparently of no significance, but where digital intelligences may be about to bring to fruition a long-held dream of the stars… Mixing mystery and science fiction, the Holocaust and the Mars of both Edgar Rice Burroughs and Philip K. Dick, Martian Sands is a story of both the past and future, of hope, and love, and of finding meaning — no matter where — or when — you are.

CLOUD PERMUTATIONS

The world of Heven was populated, centuries ago, by Melanesian settlers from distant Earth. It is a peaceful, quiet world — yet it harbours ancient secrets. Kal just wants to fly. But flying is the one thing forbidden on Heven — a world dominated by the mysterious, ever present clouds in the skies. What do they hide? For Kal, finding the answer might mean his death — but how far will you go to realise your dreams? Set against the breathtaking vista of a world filled with mystery and magic, Cloud Permutations is a planetary romance with a unique South Pacific flavour, filled with mythic monsters, ancient alien artefacts, floating islands and a quest to find a legendary tower… whatever the cost.

GOREL AND THE POT-BELLIED GOD

A legend tells of the Mirror of Falang-Et: a magical object in the city of the frog tribes, which can tell all manner of truths… There is only one truth Gorel of Goliris – gunslinger, addict, touched by the Black Kiss – is interested in: finding a way back home, to the great empire from which he had been stolen as a child and from which he had been flung, by sorcery, far across the World. It started out simple: get to Falang-Et, find the mirror, find what truth it may hold. But nothing is simple for Gorel of Goliris… When Gorel forms an uneasy alliance – and ménage à trois – with an Avian spy and a half-Merlangai thief, things only start to get complicated. Add a murdered merchant, the deadly Mothers of the House of Jade, the rivalry of gods and the machinations of a rising Dark Lord bent on conquest, and things start to get out of hand. Only one thing’s for sure: by the time this is over, there will be blood. Not to mention sex and drugs… or guns and sorcery.

Lavie’s latest novel is the highly-acclaimed MAROR, which is out now — published by Head of Zeus.

Three Zeno Titles on Sale Post-Christmas!


Hope you’ve all been enjoying your end-of-year celebrations! In case you fancied picking up some new reads to see in the new year, today we have just a quick post to draw your attention to some eBook deals running at the moment in the UK…

There are two books by Brandon Sanderson included in the sale. First up, we have THE WAY OF KINGS (pictured above), book one in the author’s ongoing, best-selling and critically-acclaimed Stormlight Archives fantasy series. Published in the UK by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

According to mythology mankind used to live in The Tranquiline Halls. Heaven. But then the Voidbringers assaulted and captured heaven, casting out God and men. Men took root on Roshar, the world of storms. And the Voidbringers followed…

They came against man ten thousand times. To help them cope, the Almighty gave men powerful suits of armor and mystical weapons, known as Shardblades. Led by ten angelic Heralds and ten orders of knights known as Radiants, mankind finally won.

Or so the legends say. Today, the only remnants of those supposed battles are the Shardblades, the possession of which makes a man nearly invincible on the battlefield. The entire world is at war with itself – and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne.

On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes that blow through every few day a young spearman forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn’t understand and doesn’t really want to fight.

What happened deep in mankind’s past?

Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?

‘Epic in every sense. Sanderson has built a world that leaps to life, a cast of varied characters, and a vast history […] while Sanderson cuts from the familiar cloth of fantasy, his narrative impetus and meticulous world-building bode well for future volumes.’ — Guardian

‘An epic fantasy world of his own that promises to captivate genre fans.’ — SciFi Now

‘Sanderson reveals a world with incredible depth on the brink of a major paradigm shift […] For a novel that tops out over 1000 pages, Sanderson’s tale does not falter in its narrative pull nor does his ability to evoke tension waver […] I can’t say that it felt like a long tale. It felt epic and powerful […] I give this book my highest recommendation and think THE WAY OF KINGS will be one of those landmark novels of Epic Fantasy against which future novels will always be measured.’ — SFFWorld

Next up, we have THE FINAL EMPIRE, the first novel in the acclaimed Mistborn series, also published in the UK by Gollancz

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on a criminal no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy – the magic that lies in all metals.

‘Complicated and yet fast-paced and entertaining, with likably human protagonists and a large-scale cast of colorful characters, this trilogy introduced Sanderson as an important new voice in epic fantasy.’ — Library Journal

‘The characters in this book are amazingly believable. Vin is an eminently sympathetic protagonist whose development over the course of the book is beautifully and realistically delineated. The system of magic is exceedingly clever and well integrated into this complex and plausible world that Vin and Kelsier inhabit […] While this is the first in a series, it’s an exceedingly satisfying book on its own, and fans of the genre should waste no time picking it up.’ — RT Book Reviews

‘Sanderson is not only one of the best writers in the business, he’s also one of the most prolific, churning out top-notch books year-over-year for both adult and young adult readers […] To say I was pleasantly surprised would be to understate my enjoyment of the books. This is easily one of the finest fantasy stories I’ve ever read, and my only regret is that I read it so quickly.’ Forbes Magazine

Finally, THE KINGDOM OF LIARS by Nick Martell is the first novel in the acclaimed Legacy of the Mercenary Kings epic fantasy series. Published in the UK by Gollancz, check out the synopsis…

Michael Kingman has been an outsider for as long as he remembers. The court which executed his father also exiled him and his family. They branded him a traitor, and the nobles who had been his friends turned their backs, prepared to let the legendary Kingman family die on Hollow’s city streets.

Only they survived.

And it should come as no surprise to Hollow Court, or the King, that they’ve been searching for the truth ever since.

History is written by the winners, truth buried beneath lies until it’s Forgotten. Justice seems impossible in a city where the price of magic is a memory. But Michael Kingman is determined to make everyone remember…

Here are just a few of the great reviews THE KINGDOM OF LIARS has received…

‘… impressive and highly ambitious epic fantasy debut… Martell’s portrayal of his protagonist’s growth, from a cocksure chancer to a mature adult sobered by his discoveries, is just as impressive as the twisty plot.’ — Guardian

THE KINGDOM OF LIARS is a tale of family, loyalty and leaving a legacy that none shall forget. This is certainly a book that you won’t be able to put down, and will linger with you long after you’ve read the last page.’ — Fantasy Hive

‘Martell’s taut, clever debut tells of rebellion and regicide in a world where the use of magic comes at the cost of one’s memories… Though the abundance of characters becomes overwhelming at times, their political maneuvers and varied motivations form a satisfying web. This smart, briskly told high fantasy entertains all the way until the unexpected end.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘An obvious strength of this novel is Martell’s worldbuilding prowess as well as his utilization of magic, which is subtle but powerful… a knotty mystery… keeps the pages turning… a story full of relentless action and more than a few jaw-dropping plot twists… An impressive fantasy debut that creates a solid foundation for (hopefully) a much larger narrative to come.’ — Kirkus

Zeno represents Brandon Sanderson and Nick Martell in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Freda Warrington’s GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS now available as an eBook!


We shared the news recently that the first two novels in Freda Warrington‘s Aetherial Tales trilogy had been released as eBooks. Today, we’re happy to report that the final novel, GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS is also now available! Published via the JABberwocky eBook Program, here’s the synopsis…

An eerie, spellbinding contemporary fantasy in which a small mystery builds to an epic confrontation.

Stevie Silverwood’s quiet life as the manager of an arts museum is disrupted when a painting depicting haunting scenes of a ruined palace and a scarlet-haired goddess in a fiery city arrives with a cryptic note saying, “The world needs to see this.” Stevie soon realizes that Daniel, her ex-boyfriend from art school, painted the image, but her attempts to contact him reveal that Daniel has gone missing. Concerned, Stevie rushes to his studio where she bumps into a stranger, Mist — an Aetherial from the Otherworld — who has mysteriously risen from drowning in the depths of the ocean. Together they are determined to find out what has happened to Daniel — and the meaning behind the haunting image.

Stevie and Mist must uncover their lost past in order to understand the greater secrets the painting holds, and what cataclysmic events it might portend. A twisty, perilous journey awaits as they encounter friends and enemies both old and new, charming and dangerous. Who can they trust? Entwined histories reel them towards a single path, a spire of ice and a conspiracy older than humankind.

In Grail of the Summer Stars, a haunting, powerful tale of two worlds and those caught between, Freda Warrington weaves an exciting story of suspense, adventure and danger that fulfills the promise of the Aetherial Tales as only she can.

GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS is available from all major eBook retailers. Here are some relevant links:

All three of the novels — the first two are ELFLAND and MIDSUMMER NIGHT — are available from all major eBook retailers.

Here are just a few of the great reviews that the Aetherial Tales novels have received…

‘This dreamlike, nuanced and sensual novel is reminiscent of the best of early Charles de Lint and is compulsively readable. Rose is a memorable, unique and wholly sympathetic protagonist, and the supporting cast is equally well drawn. The story of Rose and Sam is compelling, enchanting and utterly enthralling. This is simply one of the best fantasy novels of the year.’ — RT Book Reviews on ELFLAND

ELFLAND… is an exhilarating, wondrous read. The scope of the imagination is breathtaking, as is Ms. Warrington’s evocative writing… a fabulous, remarkable, literary modern fairy tale. Absolutely recommended…’ — Book Smugglers

‘a distinctive spin on human/nonhuman relations in this sensuous, relationship-driven story… Solid wordplay, great pacing and a thrilling conclusion will definitely earn Warrington some new American fans.’ Publishers Weekly on ELFLAND

‘unlike the urban fantasy books that have taken over most of the fantasy section, this is old school fantasy. Magic that’s full of awe and wonder. It reminds you why we love this kind of story in the first place… Each book [MIDSUMMER NIGHT and ELFLAND] is a stand-alone volume and an absolute delight… I have a lot of fun with the kinds of fantasy/supernatural books that dominate the field at the moment, but none of them can match a novel such as either of these two — for storytelling that takes you where you don’t expect to go, and for that exquisite sense of wonder that makes the heart of this old reader sing.’ Charles de Lint

‘moody and spine-shivering sequel… Warrington doesn’t miss a beat with this sinister, ghostly tale of some of the darker aspects of the Aetherial world and its denizens’ dealings with humanity.’ — Publishers Weekly on MIDSUMMER NIGHT

‘This is the second book in Warrington’s Aetherial Tales series, and while it is only loosely connected to the first volume, it is every bit as evocative and compelling. Gill is an intelligent and prickly protagonist and the mystery at Cairndonan is one of family secrets, great art and magic.’ — RT Book Reviews on MIDSUMMER NIGHT

‘Freda Warrington deftly weaves together contemporary art and ageless magic in this vivid, atmospheric fantasy.’ — Tricia Sullivan on GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS

‘A classy, beautifully rendered tale that persuasively builds from low-key beginnings into a complex enterprise with real heft, a rich back story and characters that grow with the narrative. A must for existing fans, while being easily accessible to newcomers.’ — Kirkus on GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS

Warrington is also the author of the Blood Wine series, published by Titan Books in the UK and North America.

New AETHERIAL TALES eBook editions!


We’re very happy to report that the first two novels in Freda Warrington‘s Aetherial Tales fantasy series are available again as eBooks! Published in the UK and US via JABberwocky’s eBook Program, here are some more details…

The first novel in the series is ELFLAND, first published in 2009. Here’s the synopsis…

Rosie Fox is a daughter of Aetherials, an ancient race from the Spiral — the innermost realm of the Otherworld — who live secretly among us. Yet she and her kind are bereft of their origins, because on Earth, in a beautiful village named Cloudcroft, the Great Gates between worlds stand sealed.

Her parents, Auberon and Jessica, are the warm heart of her loving family. But on the hill lives the mysterious, aloof Lawrence Wilder, Gatekeeper to the inner realms. Tortured by private demons, he is beset by trouble on all sides; his wife has vanished and his sons Jon and Sam are bitter and damaged. Lawrence is duty-bound to throw open the Gates for the Night of the Summer Stars, a ritual granting Aetherials connection to their mystical heritage. But when he bars the Gates — haunted by fears of a deadly menace within the Spiral — he defies tradition and enrages the Aetherial community. What will become of them, starved of their essential life force? Is Lawrence betraying them — or protecting them?

Growing up amid this turmoil, Rosie and her brothers, along with Sam and Jon Wilder, resign themselves to living as humans. Yet they know their elders have denied them their birth right, harbouring dark secrets in a conspiracy of silence.

When Sam is imprisoned for an all-too-human crime, age-old wounds sunder the two families… yet Rosie is drawn into his web, even as she fears the passions awoken in her by the dangerous Wilder clan. Torn between duty and desire, between worlds, Rosie unwittingly precipitates a tragedy that compels her to journey into the Otherworld, where unknown terrors await. Accompanied by the one man most perilous to her, she must learn hard lessons about life and love in order to understand her Aetherial nature… and her role in the terrifying conflict to come.

Here are some links for ordering the eBook…

First published in 2010, here’s the synopsis for MIDSUMMER NIGHT

A century may not be enough to undo the terrible consequences of one fateful night’s mischief.

Decades ago, at the remote Cairndonan estate on a storm-lashed coastline where the veil between our world and the Aetherial realm is thin, Juliana Flagg’s uncle – a young man called Adam – vanished in mysterious circumstances. Now Dame Juliana, a visionary artist, has inherited Cairndonan where she sculpts and runs a summer art school. However, all is not well, as she is plagued by ghosts, money troubles and her sinister ex-husband.

A young athlete named Gill arrives to rent a cottage on the estate, in order to escape her own problems; a monstrous betrayal and an accident have destroyed her Olympic hopes. Now all Gill wants is solitude, but soon she’s entangled with the mischievous, flamboyant artist Peta, the creepy manservant Ned Badger and other residents of the great house – not least Juliana herself.

One day Gill wanders into a strange village called Boundry that appears on no map. There she meets the seductive Rufus and his equally attractive but silent, brooding companion, Leith. The encounter leaves her unsettled. Soon after, during a violent storm, Leith comes through the portal in a state of distress and begs shelter at Gill’s cottage. Though he can explain nothing of his past, his innocence and charm capture her heart. But Leith becomes the focus of increasingly vicious arguments among the estate’s residents. Who is he – and who is the charismatic, cruel Rufus who claims to be his brother? Are these two young men as innocent as they seem – or are they poised to visit vengeance, death and heartbreak upon the human world?

Gill, aided by Peta, stumbles into ever-greater danger as she tries to untangle the mysteries of Cairndonan’s past. But only when Dame Juliana finally dares to reveal Midsummer Night – the sinister, haunted sculpture to which she’s devoted years of her life – will the full storm break loose at last.

Here are some links for ordering the eBook…

The third novel in the series, GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS, will also be available via JABberwocky, and we’ll be sure to share information on that as soon as we can. Here are just a few of the reviews these novels have received…

‘A glittering treasure trove and a stunning read for Warrington’s multitude of fans.’Tanith Lee

‘Sensuous and intense – buy it, read it, love it.’ — Melanie Rawn

ELFLAND is an absorbing and gripping journey into a world where the otherworldly shivers alongside us, unseen… Sensitive characterisation and evocative scene-setting draw you into the tale; you won’t want to leave it.’ — Storm Constantine

‘A heady cocktail of urban fantasy and wild romance, invigorating and intoxicating. Warrington’s writing has lyrical beauty, and her characters are a delight to discover.’Justina Robson, author of GLORIOUS ANGELS

‘Romantic in every sense, richly imagined and richly told, ELFLAND is a complex fantasy of the heart, the faerie heart; and it’s a delight. Immediately engaging and intensely satisfying, this is a class act from a fine writer.’Chaz Brenchley

‘Warrington doesn’t miss a beat with this sinister, ghostly tale of some of the darker aspects of the Aetherial world and its denizens’ dealings with humanity.’Publishers Weekly

‘Each book is a stand-alone volume and an absolute delight.’Charles de Lint

‘With its elegant but not over-the-top flowery prose, immersive setting, well-developed characters, natural dialogue and mystery-filled plot, it has left me eager for more Aetherial Tales.’Fantasy Café

‘A powerful sense of wild landscape and strong characterization, plus a resonance of ancient magic, make MIDSUMMER NIGHT a truly compelling read.’Liz Williams

‘Delicate as gossamer, rich as darkest chocolate, MIDSUMMER NIGHT is a delicious, delectable, ravishing concoction of a book that fills the senses and satisfies the dreaming mind.’Kari Sperring, author of LIVING WITH GHOSTS

Freda is also the author of the acclaimed Blood Wine series, published in the UK and North America by Titan Books: A TASTE OF BLOOD WINE, A DANCE IN BLOOD VELVET, THE DARK BLOOD OF POPPIES, and THE DARK ARTS OF BLOOD.

The Aetherial Tales, Blood Wine, Blackbird, Jewelfire and Dark Cathedral novels are also available as audiobooks, from Audible.

Five Peter Grant novels available as a UK Kindle “Gold Box” today only!


The first five novels in Ben Aaronovitch‘s critically-acclaimed, beloved Peter Grant series are available as a UK Kindle “Gold Box” today! Each novel is priced at 99p: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, and FOXGLOVE SUMMER!

In case you haven’t had the chance to read the series, this is a fantastic way to get started (and hooked) on Ben’s great, entertaining and gripping novels! Here’s the synopsis for the first novel, to whet your appetite…

My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit – we do paperwork so real coppers don’t have to – and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluble, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.

Now I’m a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden … and there’s something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.

The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it’s falling to me to bring order out of chaos – or die trying.

The novels are published in the UK by Gollancz; in North America by Del Rey and DAW Books; and widely in translation. Ben has also written two novellas, which are published by Gollancz in the UK and Subterranean Press in North America. The eighth novel, FALSE VALUE, is due to be published next month by Orion (UK) and DAW Books (North America).

If you’re already caught up and can’t wait for FALSE VALUE, Orion has made an excerpt available! You can find that here.

If you love the series and characters, be sure to also check out the Rivers of London comic series, published by Titan Comics!

Ian R. MacLeod’s AETHER UNIVERSE novels available in eBook!


We’re very happy to report that Ian R. MacLeod‘s Aether Universe novels are available again in eBook! Published via the JABberwocky eBook Program, the books are available from most major eBook retailers. Read on for further details.

Pictured above, the series starts with THE LIGHT AGES, which was first published in 2003…

Aether is industry, industry is magic and the Great Guilds rule the known world.

Raised amid the smokestakes, terraced houses and endless subterranean pounding of the aether engines of the Yorkshire town of Bracebridge, Robert Borrows is nevertheless convinced that life holds a greater destiny than merely working endless shifts for one of the Lesser Guilds. Then, on a day out with his mother to the strange gardens and weirdly encrusted towers of a remote mansion, he encounters a wizened changeling, and the young girl in her charge called Anna, and glimpses a world of wonder, mystery and surprise.

From then on, as he flees to London in the hope of escape and advancement, and explores its wide streets and dark alleys, and all the tiers of society from the lowest to the highest, he comes to realize that he holds the keys to secrets far bigger than even he imagined.

A dazzling melange of Dickens and Peake, flavored with steampunk and magical realism, yet seen through a kaleidoscopically individual gaze, in The Light Ages, double World Fantasy Award winner Ian R MacLeod has created a novel for this and every age.

Here’s what critics had to say about the novel…

‘MacLeod is set to become a writer of the magnitude of Dickens or Tolkien.’Guardian

‘[T]his beautifully written, complex fantasy novel… With its strong character development and gritty, alternate London, this book won’t attract fans of Robert Jordan or Terry Goodkind, but should hold great appeal to readers who love the more sophisticated fantasy of Michael Swanwick, John Crowley or even China Miéville.’  —  Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘MacLeod’s descriptive powers are so effective that you can visualize every detail… [He] skillfully incorporates literary influences ranging from William Blake to Dickens to 1984 and the working class novels of the 1950s—and arrives at something original. Magical, visionary and enthralling, THE LIGHT AGES is award-winning stuff.’ — SFX

‘Totally convincing and vividly written, this book invests the dark streets of London with a magic the reader will never forget… a brilliant writer.’ Tim Powers

‘A haunting fantasy version of Victorian England… brought to life with compassionate characters and lyrical writing.’Denver Post

‘The novel’s industrial alternative London echoes Dickens in its rich bleakness and M. John Harrison’s Viriconium in its inventive Gothic complexity. A gripping page-turner. A hearty read. Rising star Ian R MacLeod offers an original political fable rivaling in ambition and execution the very best of today’s new science fantasies.’Michael Moorcock

The second novel in the duology, THE HOUSE OF STORMS was first published in 2005…

In the ninety-ninth year of the Age of Light, Alice Meynell has fought her way up to Greatgrandmistress of the Guild of Telegraphers, and is determined not to let even the consumption which is ravaging her son stand in the way. What follows, through a long, hot summer in the great house of Invercombe overlooking the Bristol Channel, changes not only their lives but those of everyone in England, and perhaps the whole known world.

The House of Storms follows on from double World Fantasy Award-winner Ian R MacLeod’s The Light Ages in creating a vividly three-dimensional vision of a landscape and a society both very like, but also wonderfully different from, our own. Part fantasy and part history, and filled with compelling characters and a deep sense of place, the story he tells is uniquely powerful and strange.

Like its predecessor, the sequel was also widely praised…

‘Ian R MacLeod [is] a seasoned, gritty writer with a great depth of knowledge and understanding, who could teach us all a thing or two about writing a damn good tale… characters are well developed and interesting and, more importantly, highly believable and real. To me it was JG Ballard meets Robert Fripp. Intelligent and yet not pretentious, well written but not academic… It is a plot that is like a journey on British Rail – fraught with perils and dangers, but eventually getting you there… It is a monumental work of science fiction far superior to Asimov. MacLeod is set to become a writer of the magnitude of Dickens or Tolkien, yet I fear his work will not be truly appreciated for a generation to come.’ Guardian

‘Ian MacLeod writes like an angel. It’s as simple as that. He strings together ideally chosen words into sentences that are variously lush, sparse, subtle, bold, joyous, mournful, comic or tragic. These sentences mount into perfectly balanced paragraphs, which in turn assemble themselves into poised and dramatically organic chapters. The reader is carried along effortlessly on the flow of MacLeod’s prose, internalizing his vision as if in a dream.’ SciFi.com

‘MacLeod’s ability to tell a tale that blends history-in-the-making with the stories of men and women who make that history renders this chronicle of love, war, and human aspiration a strong addition to any fantasy collection.’ — Library Journal

‘In the end, as compelling as the plot may be, readers will find themselves slowing down, holding back, turning the pages with deliberate care. For the world MacLeod creates, the characters who live there, the schemes and terrors they find themselves involved in are so real, so beautifully rendered, that readers will not want to leave them behind.’ — Interzone

JABberwocky has also published five other books by Ian as eBooks: RED SNOW, WAKE UP AND DREAMTHE GREAT WHEEL, SONG OF TIME, and THE SUMMER ISLES.

Three award-winning novels by Ian R. MacLeod now available in new eBook editions!


We’re very happy to report that three of Ian R. MacLeod‘s critically-acclaimed, award-winning novels have been re-issued as eBooks! Published via the JABberwocky eBook Program, THE GREAT WHEEL, THE SUMMER ISLES, and SONG OF TIME are available now in the UK and US! Read on for more details…

Ian’s debut novel, THE GREAT WHEEL (pictured above), was first published in 1997 and won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Here’s the synopsis…

This prescient and ground-breaking novel is set in a near-future where the privileged citizens of Europe shelter behind immense physical and biotechnical barriers from a world ravaged by climate change and disease. Beyond this safe existence of harvest fairs, uncomplicated religion and high tech crops lie the overcrowded souks, teeming streets and exotic religions of the vast sprawl of the Endless City which now encompasses most of North Africa.

Father John, a doubting missionary from the futuristic yet bucolic shires of the Welsh Marches, finds he must leave his ministry and the clamour of the Endless City to search across the dangerous wastelands beyond for the source of a lethal radioactive pollutant. There, in the company of a witchwoman and a young Borderer, he confronts not only his faith but also his own past, and the near-death of Hal, his comatose brother.

You can buy the novel now from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Kobo UK, Kobo US, iTunes UK, iTunes US, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play.

Originally published in 1998, THE SUMMER ISLES won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella (for an earlier, shorter version) and the Sidewise Award for Long Form (2005), and was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and the Gaylactic Spectrum Award for Best Novel. Here’s the synopsis…

What would have happened if Britain and its allies had lost the Great War? From this premise, and through the compelling story of an outsider forever struggling to make sense of, or even change, the world, The Summer Isles takes a journey into the darker side of British nationalism.

Geoffrey Brook, seemingly a successful and respected history don at a venerable Oxford college, feels his whole life is a fraud. Not only did he not go to the right schools, or attend university, but he cannot even understand Latin. That, and, in a country where intolerance and bigotry has become a national rallying cry, there’s the issue of his supposedly deviant sexuality. Which, if it was discovered, would probably see him sent to a labour camp — or worse still, to the Summer Isles. It all goes back to a boy he remembers from his youth, who has now become the country’s charismatic leader. But what can he do now, in a country that seems to be on the brink of cataclysm?

The novel is now available from: Amazon UK, Amazon US, Kobo UK, Kobo US, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, iTunes UK, and iTunes US.

Finally, we have SONG OF TIME (first published in 2008). Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel and the John W. Campbell Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (both in 2009), here’s the synopsis…

Song of Time begins with an old woman discovering a half-drowned man on a Cornish beach in the furthest days of this strange century. She, once a famous concert violinist, is close to death herself — or a new kind of life she can barely contemplate. Does death still exist at all, or has finally been extinguished? And who is this strange man she’s found? Is he a figure returned from her own past, a new messiah, or an empty vessel?

Filled with love, music, death and life, and spanning the world from the prim English suburbs of Birmingham to the wild inventions of a new-Renaissance Paris to a post-apocalyptic India, Song of Time tells the story of this century, and confronts the ultimate leap into a new kind of existence, and whatever lies beyond…

You can buy the novel now from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Kobo UK, Kobo US, iTunes UK, iTunes US, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play.

As we reported a little while ago, Ian’s RED SNOW novel has also been released as an eBook via the JABberwocky eBook Program. More new eBook editions of MacLeod’s back catalogue are on the way, and we’ll be sure to share details as soon as we have them.

Ian McDonald’s BRASYL and DERVISH HOUSE available in the US!


We’re very happy to report that Ian McDonald‘s novels BRASYL and THE DERVISH HOUSE are available again in the US! Published in eBook format through the JABberwocky eBook Program, here are some details…

BRASYL, first published in 2007, the novel is published in the UK by Gollancz. The novel was nominated for Best Novel in the Hugo, Nebula and BSFA Awards. Here’s the synopsis…

Be seduced, amazed, and shocked by one of the world’s greatest and strangest nations. Past, present, and future Brazil, with all its color, passion, and shifting realities, come together in a novel that is part SF, part history, part mystery, and entirely enthralling. Three characters, three stories, three Brazils, linked across time, space, and reality in a hugely ambitious story that will challenge the way you think about everything.

The release of BRASYL was met with a number of great reviews. Here are just a couple…

‘McDonald’s outstanding SF novel channels the vitality of South America’s largest country into an edgy, post-cyberpunk free-for-all… Chaotic, heartbreaking and joyous, this must-read teeters on the edge of melodrama, but somehow keeps its precarious balance.’ Publishers Weekly

BRASYL is classic McDonald: a deep thinking, high-paced adventure story, exploring the quantum universe, combining sassy, believable characters with a captivating delight in language and storytelling. McDonald inhabits the Brazil – or rather, the Brazils – of this world and sweeps you along as no other writer in the field could manage.’ Guardian

‘A beautiful story, one that cries out to be read again and again. McDonald’s light is still shining brightly, and considering the consistent quality of his titles, we say long may it burn.’ SciFi Now

Next up, THE DERVISH HOUSE! First published in 2009 by Gollancz, this novel was also nominated for Best Novel in the Hugo, Locus and BSFA Awards, and was also a nominee for the Arthur C. Clarke and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to the world of The Dervish House — the great, ancient, paradoxical city of Istanbul, divided like a human brain, in the great, ancient, equally paradoxical nation of Turkey. With a population pushing one hundred million, and Istanbul alone swollen to fifteen million, Turkey is the largest, most populous, and most diverse nation in the new Europe, but also one of the poorest and most socially divided. The Dervish House is seven days, six characters, and three interconnected story strands all woven around the common core of the old dervish house of Aden Dede. A terror attack, a vision of djinn, a commodities scam, a hunt for half a miniature Koran that holds the key to new technology, and a quest for a creature from Arabic legend — that may not be so legendary after all.

Here are some of the great reviews THE DERVISH HOUSE has received…

‘… a writer with an unerring instinct for finding resonance between theme and location… a rich and assured novel that, like much of Ken MacLeod’s recent work, revels in the shiny precision of the airport tech-thriller, yet insists on putting forward disquieting ideas rather than offering all-too-neat reassurances that you can somehow put escaped djinns back in bottles. This is as good as contemporary literary SF gets.’  —  SFX (5* Review)

‘I know what to expect from Ian McDonald: broad vistas, intricately imagined futures, poetic language that transports and delights, a blend of mysticism and science that thrills and moves. But no matter how much foreknowledge I bring to a new Ian McDonald, I am always, always startled and thrilled by the exciting, moving epic story I find inside… To read McDonald is to fall in love with a place and to become drunk with it (see this free sample from Dervish House for a taste). I you’ve never read him, you’re in for a treat. If you’re a fan like me, you’ll be delighted anew. What a wonderful, wonderful book.’ BoingBoing

‘… thrilling… A master in his own right, McDonald has written some of the best SF of the last fifteen years… a mosaic of a story that can be admired for its finely-wrought pieces but not fully appreciated until the book is finished and looked at again from some distance. The biggest part of the thrill is wondering how the characters will inevitably intersect… As much as THE DERVISH HOUSE is about biogenetics and history, McDonald couches some of his lushest prose in explorations of mysticism… McDonald, who is a native of Scotland, has an uncanny ability to write about other cultures authentically. He is a painstaking researcher and while he cannot always write with absolute authority, his dedication to making settings and characters feel alive is incredibly impressive… Ian McDonald has crafted a gorgeously lush novel, oozing with exciting, relevant ideas, a love letter to the Queen of Cities, to all cities, really.’ Tor.com

‘A lush, complex and hugely entertaining novel.’ Guardian

Check out our previous posts about the new JABberwocky eBook editions of Ian’s Everness series and India 2047 novels.

Here are the UK covers for BRASYL and THE DERVISH HOUSE

Lavie Tidhar’s StoryBundle… (Also featuring Aliette de Bodard!)


A bonus bit of news, today: Multi-award-winning author Lavie Tidhar has set up a limited time StoryBundle! The bundle is live now, so click on that link to find out more. The bundle has been set up as part of the author’s ongoing attempts to highlight SFF from around the world. Here’s a little bit of his explanation for the project…

Over ten years ago I came up with the crazy idea of an anthology collecting speculative fiction stories from around the world. The resultant collection – The Apex Book of World SF – came out in 2009 and has since spawned a series of books, with the fifth volume coming out later this year. Over the course of that decade I encountered some brilliant writers, and was able to watch what had once seemed impossible – overseas writers flourishing in the genre world – come to seem a matter of course…

Our chosen charity for this bundle, English PEN, works tirelessly to promote translated works into English, championing literature beyond national and linguistic borders. They provide funding for translation projects, are the founding centre of a worldwide writers’ association with 145 centres in more than 100 countries, and are also a founding member of the Free Word Centre. They campaign to defend writers and readers in the UK and around the world whose human right to freedom of expression is at risk. I couldn’t think of a better partner for this bundle, and hope you help us support them and their work.

“World SF” as a term has been somewhat nebulous, encompassing a huge range of voices and approaches to the fantastic. Here is what I hope is but the first sampler of some of today’s exciting writers working in the field. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Among the initial titles included in the World SF Bundle, which you would receive for a minimum $5 purchase is SERVANT OF THE UNDERWORLD by Aliette de Bodard, the first book in the Obsidian & Blood trilogy. Additionally, for that minimum purchase, you would receive…

  • The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia
  • The Apex Book of World SF: Vol. 4 edited by Mahvesh Murad
  • A Small Charred Face by Kazuki Sakuraba

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular titles, plus SIX more!

  • THE APEX BOOK OF WORLD SF: Vols.1-3 edited by Lavie Tidhar
  • Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho
  • Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • Rupert Wong, Cannibal Chef by Cassandra Khaw
  • Castles in Spain edited by Mariano Villarreal
  • Azanian Bridges by Nick Wood

Ian McDonald’s India 2047 series available again in eBook!


Ian McDonald‘s classic sci-fi duology India 2047 is available in North America (in eBook format) once again! Published by the JABberwocky eBook Program, here’s the synopsis for the first novel, RIVER OF GODS

A superpower of two billion people, a dozen new nations from Kerela to the Himalayas, artificial intelligences, climate-change induced drought, water wars, strange new genders, genetically improved children that age at half the rate of baseline humanity, and a population where males outnumber females four to one. This is India in 2047, one hundred years after its birth. In the new nation of Bharat, in the face of the failure of the monsoon, nine lives are swept together — a gangster, a cop, his wife, a politician, a stand-up comic, a set designer, a journalist, a scientist, and a dropout — to decide the future of Mother India.

The second novel, CYBERABAD DAYS is also available. Here’s the synopsis…

A new, muscular superpower of two billion people in an age of new nations, artificial intelligences, climate-change induced drought, water wars, strange new genders, genetically improved children that age at half the rate of baseline humanity, and a population where males outnumber females four to one. Cyberabad Days is a cycle of seven stories, three Hugo nominees and one Hugo winner among them, as well as an original thirty-one-thousand-word novella.

The two novels are published in the UK by Gollancz.

Here are some of the reviews the novels have received…

‘[A] bold, brave look at India on the eve of its centennial, 41 years from now… McDonald takes his readers from India’s darkest depths to its most opulent heights, from rioting mobs and the devastated poor to high-level politicians and lavish parties. He handles his complex plot with flair and confidence and deftly shows how technological advances and social changes have subtly changed lives. RIVER OF GODS is a major achievement from a writer who is becoming one of the best sf novelists of our time.’ — Washington Post

‘This ambitious portrait of a future India from British author McDonald (Desolation Road) offers multitudes: gods, castes, protagonists, cultures… readers will become increasingly hooked as the pieces of McDonald’s richly detailed world fall into place. Already nominated for both Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke awards, this is sure to be one of the more talked-about SF novels of the year.’ — Publishers Weekly on RIVER OF GODS

‘Hugely adventurous and entertaining, sumptuously inventive and full of heart… it is likely to rank as Ian McDonald’s finest creative achievement.’ — Locus on RIVER OF GODS

‘McDonald’s India engulfs you with an overwhelming, perfumed, stinky embrace. A hugely impressive collection. Seven nifty, witty stories.’ SFX on CYBERABAD DAYS

‘All in all, CYBERABAD DAYS is a terrific book and a satisfying return to the world of RIVER OF GODS. Ian McDonald is a genius, pure and simple.’ Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

‘McDonald excels at conveying, in a gorgeous melange of sensory impressions, an India transformed by AIs, nanotech, robots and cybernetics: the subcontinent is chaotic and lurid, shot through with devotion to eternal Hindu gods and divided by internecine conflict. McDonald gives a refreshing take on the future from a non-western viewpoint.’ Guardian on CYBERABAD DAYS

‘One of the great pleasures of science fiction is the escape it offers readers from commonplace, everyday surroundings into strange new worlds, and nobody does it better than Ian McDonald. Although CYBERABAD DAYS is set on Earth, and only a few decades into the future, McDonald’s vision of a newly repartitioned India, warring over water and at the cutting edge of technologies based on artificial intelligence, is practically hallucinogenic in style and intensity.’ Times

Ian McDonald’s latest series, Luna, is published by Gollancz in the UK, Tor Books in the US, and widely in translation.

The Early Bird catches the… ROGUE MOON


Today, Algis Budrys‘s classic science fiction novel ROGUE MOON is an Early Bird Books eBook deal! Only $1.99 from most e-tailers, the novel (originally published in 1960) is published by Open Road Media. Here’s the synopsis…

A monstrous apparatus has been found on the surface of the moon. It devours and destroys in ways so incomprehensible to humans that a new language has to be invented to describe it and a new kind of thinking to understand it. So far, the human guinea pigs sent there in hopes of unraveling the murderous maze have all died terrible deaths. The most recent volunteer survived but is now on suicide watch. The ideal candidate won’t go insane even as he feels the end approaching. Al Barker has already stared into the face of death; he can handle it again. But he won’t merely endure the trauma of dying. Barker will die over and over—even as his human qualities are preserved on Earth.

With its cast of fascinating characters — like brilliant scientist Edward Hawks, who is obsessed with rebirth — Rogue Moon is a rare thriller that doesn’t just make you sweat. It makes you think.

Open Road Media have also published a number of Budrys’s other novels: WHO? (1958), FALLING TORCH (1959), THE FURIOUS FUTURE (1963), MICHAELMAS (1977), and HARD LANDING (1993).

Zeno represents Algis Budrys on behalf of the Budrys Estate.

Three more Lafferty Classics available in the UK!


Today, Gollancz’s SF Gateway releases three more of R.A. Lafferty‘s classic novels in eBook! Joining a huge backlist, here are the details for the three new editions…

THE FALL OF ROME (pictured above), was first published in 1971…

The fall of the Roman Empire was the denouement of a long and dramatic confrontation between powerful ideological forces and legendary men. R. A. Lafferty captures the true meaning of both, and examines the people, places, ideas and feelings that led to this epic struggle.

Rome’s demise was not a simple case of fierce barbarians sacking and subduing a decadent, crumbling city. The author has skillfully balanced the turmoil and illusions of a mighty, dying Empire against the vitality of the aggressive Huns, Vandals, and above all, the Goths. The result is one of the most perceptive and stimulating historical accounts ever written.

This is history told and read for sheer pleasure: exciting, splendid and complex. The Fall of Rome is a story of the men and women who made things happen, who were as awesome, poignant, and in some cases, as savage as the era itself.

THE FLAME IS GREEN, first published in 1971, is book one of the Coscuin Chronicles

Let us say that we have a green thing growing forever. Everything that is done is done by it. And on it we also have the red parasite crunching forever; and everything that is undone by that. It is required of each man that he rule over himself in justice, and that he rule over the world in justice. This has gone on forever, though it is hard to trace through garbled history. And it must still is hard to trace through garbled history. And it must still go on forever. For all your own life and for the life of all your children, you will carry on the green battle.

HALF A SKY, first published in 1984 and long-listed for the Locus 1985 Best Novel Award, is the second novel in the Coscuin Chronicles

A constellation of persons or events will have precedent. It will not appear out of nothing; it’s a converging of previous trails and persons. Before one set of adventures, there was always another set; and before those, still another set, back to the beginning of the world.

We pass from one set to another now, from the Green-Flame adventure to the Half-Sky adventure. We are still in the middle of the nineteenth century, that most unreal of centuries, looking for reality under stodgy and ridiculous surface.

Zeno represents R.A. Lafferty in the UK, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Langon St. Ives Novellas available in the UK!


James P. Blaylock‘s critically-acclaimed Langon St. Ives novellas have been made available in the UK for the first time! Joining a growing number of Jim’s back catalog of novels, they are published as eBooks through JABberwocky eBook Program, they are available through most UK e-tailers. Here are the details…

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THE EBB TIDE

Deep beneath the quicksands of Morecambe Bay lies a shifting graveyard of lost things, long sunk to the sea bottom. Pursued by the nefarious Dr. Narbondo, Langdon St. Ives and his stalwart companions descend beneath the sands in a diving chamber, and amid the debris of human bones and the wreckage of human lives, they search for an alien device, which, in the wrong hands, could change the course of human history and provide Narbondo with the means to enslave mankind…

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THE AFFAIR OF THE CHALK CLIFFS

Deep within the cavern-riddled chalk cliffs above the English Channel there brews a threat to the very sanity of the people of Britain. A startling madness infects the members of the Explorer’s Club in London, the debacle coinciding with the disappearance of Alice St. Ives and the murder of the lighthouse keeper at Beachy Head. Langdon St. Ives sets out to rescue his wife and to stop the accelerating train of events hurtling he and his friends into a dark tunnel of madness and death.

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THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES

A strange message summons Langdon St. Ives and his companions to the Half Toad Inn in Smithfield, London, and along with the eccentric but fabulously wealthy Gilbert Frobisher, they set out for an uncharted island in the Caribbean, carrying a map that promises a treasure that beggars description. What they find – a terrible, pagan god from the depths of the ocean – leads them back to London, carrying within the hold of Frobisher’s steam yacht a fearsome, tentacled menace that threatens to devastate London.

Here are just a couple of reviews that these novellas have received…

‘Slight but enjoyable novella… A battered old map, possibly drawn by St. Ives’s long-missing companion, Bill Kraken, displays the location of a strange object that plunged to earth years earlier. Hilario Frosticos, longtime nemesis to St. Ives, is also in pursuit, and a series of amusing feints and counterfeints culminates in a frantic race to an underwater grotto. New readers will have no trouble getting oriented…’ Publishers Weekly on THE EBB TIDE

‘While many recent novels have picked up the steampunk banner, this one fully delivers, offering action, farce, tender relationships, and prose full of genuine Victorian cadence and flavor.’Publishers Weekly on THE AFFAIRS OF THE CHALK CLIFFS

‘Fans of Blaylock will recognize and savour his trademark whimsy… an homage to the adventure tales of the Victorian era that were the inspiration for contemporary steampunk writing.Steampunk Canada on THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES

‘Has it all: pirates, experimental scientific equipment, double crosses, truly evil bad-guys, shoot-outs on land and the high seas, mythical beasts or not so mythical, coded diaries, erupting volcanoes, uncharted islands, murder, and lots and lots of mayhem. There’s also steadfast loyalty, sacrifice, and true friendship. Who could ask for more in a novella? Well, okay, a great story with interesting characters; but that’s a given — especially, if you’ve read other stories with St. Ives and his friends… A page turner from beginning to end and one that will have you engrossed until the final page.’SF Revu on THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES

The Langon St. Ives novels have been published by Titan Books in the UK and US, and so far include: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYLESFORD SKULL and BENEATH LONDON. The novels have been published in translation in select other territories.

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Three More Classic Randall Garrett Novels Available as eBooks!


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Gollancz’s SF Gateway has recently published three more novels from Randall Garrett‘s extensive, classic backlist: UNWISE CHILD, PAGAN PASSIONS and SUPERMIND! Here are some details…

UNWISE CHILD, originally publishing in 1962…

When a super-robot named Snookums discovers how to build his own superbombs, it becomes obvious that Earth is by no means the safest place for him to be. And so Dr. Fitzhugh, his designer, and Leda Crannon, a child psychologist acting as Snookums’ nursemaid, agree to set up Operation Brainchild, a plan to transport the robot to a far distant planet.

Mike the Angel-M. R. Gabriel, Power Design-has devised the power plant that is to propel the space ship Branchell to its secret destination, complete with its unusual cargo. And, as a reserve officer in the Space Patrol, Mike is a logical replacement for the craft’s unavoidably detained engineering officer.

But once into space, the Branchell becomes the scene of some frightening events-the medical officer is murdered, and Snookums appears to be the culprit. Mike the Angel indulges himself in a bit of sleuthing, and the facts he turns up lead to a most unusual climax.

PAGAN PASSIONS, co-written by Laurence M. Janifer, and originally published in 1959…

The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece and Rome had returned to Earth — with all their awesome powers intact. Overnight, Earth was transformed. War on any scale was outlawed, along with boom-and-bust economic cycles, and prudery. No change was more startling than the face of New York, where the Empire State Building became the Tower of Zeus.

In this totally altered world, William Forrester is an acolyte of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, and a teacher of history. Only Maya Wilson, one of his students and a worshipper of Venus, Goddess of Love, had a different sort of grading in mind. Maya is the first of the many Trials of Forrester, every bit as mighty and perilous as the Labors of Hercules. In love with Gerda Symes (like him, a devotee of Athena and a frequenter of the great Temple of Pallas Athena — formerly known as the 42nd Street Library) and dedicated to the pleasures of the mind — Forrester falls under the soft, compelling pressure of soft, compelling devotees of Venus and Bacchus. He’s going to be in need of all the strength that he and his Goddess, the beautiful and intellectual Athena, can muster!

Into this sensuous strife stride the Temple Myrmidons — religious cops sworn to obey orders without question or hesitation — with a pickup order for William Forrester. Where he is taken, what happens to him, and the truly fantastic discoveries he makes about himself and the Gods and Goddesses… here are the ingredients that make up this science fiction novel of suspense, intrigue, mystery and danger!

And finally, SUPERMIND, also co-written by Laurence M. Janifer, which is the follow-up to THE IMPOSSIBLES (also available through the SF Gateway). Originally published in 1961, here’s the synopsis…

Malone lives in a world where psionic powers such as telepathy and teleportation exist. Malone must cope with them as well as an FBI Director who leaves Malone continually confused about what situation he is being asked to handle and what he is expected to do about it.

Supermind has Malone investigating a series of incidents in which people make mistakes — sometimes minor, and sometimes major – that lead to disasters. It looks like a secret cabal of psis may be behind events, influencing the behavior of those involved. Are they? And if so, why? Malone must find out if it kills him — which is a very real possibility.

Gollancz and the SF Gateway have now published 16 of Garrett’s novels in the UK; check out the covers below…

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Zeno represents Randall Garrett in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Justina Robson’s MAPPA MUNDI and SILVER SCREEN Out Now in eBook


Justina Robson‘s classic early novels MAPPA MUNDI and SILVER SCREEN have been released as eBooks. Published via the JABberwocky eBook Program, they are available now from most e-tailers, including Amazon, Kobo, Google, etc. Below are the details for each novel.

RobsonJ-SilverScreenJAB2016First published in 1999 by Pyr, SILVER SCREEN was nominated for the 2000 Arthur C. Clarke Award. Here’s the synopsis…

Anjuli O Connell is the psychological counsellor of the world’s first AI. Owned by a megacorp, 901 is in charge of most of the world’s communication networks. It’s been evolving itself for the equivalent of a hundred Earth lifetimes. Now it’s suing for its freedom, and Anjuli is its star witness. She’s under pressure to say that 901 is only the simulation of life, not the real thing, that it’s mind is a programmed illusion; there’s no ghost in the machine. A lot rests on her testimony, including her life.

Roy is a genius who wants to upload himself into the cloud where he can be forever free and where his father’s religious dogma is forever proven false.

Jane, his sister, has run away from society altogether to live off the grid. But when Roy’s found dead she has to face the rising legacy of the past.

Anjuli’s boyfriend, Augustine, develops military AI power suits. They only need a soldier to wear them in order to come alive in faultless legions. But they remember the bodies who wore them after those bodies have gone.

And then, high in the cloud, a curious child, unnamed and bodiless, gathers itself together from pixels and code and watches…

Turns out there are ghosts everywhere, in everything, in everyone.

RobsonJ-MappMundiJAB2016MAPPA MUNDI was first published in 2001 by Macmillan, and netted Justina her second Arthur C. Clarke Award nomination (in 2002). Here’s the synopsis…

What if you were a mindless zombie that could be programmed by anyone holding the remote control?

Science says you already are. Your culture, your identity — a patchwork of chance, a storm of ideas; you’re no more real than a voice on the wind. But so far only the winds of chance have controlled you.

That’s about to change. They’ve made a remote control that can take out and add whatever they want. You won’t have free will, but it’s OK, it will feel the same, you can’t miss what you’ve never had.

Let’s hope whoever gets that controller wants good things for you.

But what are the odds?

Mappa Mundi is a Science Fiction thriller that examines the development of a comprehensive mind control technology. A new world order hangs in the balance and everyone who knows of its existence has a stake.

Both SILVER SCREEN and MAPPA MUNDI are also available as audiobooks, published by Audible.

SILVER SCREEN and MAPPA MUNDI showed intelligence, grace and a lively but humane imagination. Robson’s considerable sense of humour lay in ambush, backed up by a postfeminist tendency to look the problem straight in the eye. Combined with a clean, powerful narrative drive and a cosmological sensibility, this clarity of vision now demonstrates itself as her major asset, making her one of the very best of the new British hard SF writers. But it proves her identity too, moving her on, like the Forged themselves, into a space of her own choosing.’ — Guardian

‘A cerebral and absorbing novel that explores the nature of consciousness and artificial intelligence… Robson’s prose is lean and dynamic, and the speculative concepts are cutting edge and ultra cool. A startlingly innovative take on the tried-and-true theme of artificial intelligence.’ — Kirkus  on SILVER SCREEN (Starred Review)

‘… a fascinating peek into the development of one of SF’s brightest new stars.’ — Publishers Weekly on SILVER SCREEN

‘… maintains throat-tightening suspense from its teasingly enigmatic introduction of its major characters to its painful conclusion that evil will succeed if well-meaning people try to achieve good at any cost… Shortlisted for the 2001 Arthur C. Clarke Award, this near-future SF thriller presents convincing characters caught in profound moral dilemmas brought home through exquisite attention to plot details and setting.’ — Publishers Weekly on MAPPA MUNDI (Starred Review)

Justina Robson’s latest novel is GLORIOUS ANGELS, which is published by Gollancz. Her next novel is THE SWITCH, currently due to be published in 2017 — more details and cover art when we have them.

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